Wireless communication networks of wireless communication providers typically include regional and national networks comprising numerous wireless coverage areas and sites where wireless communication equipment is located. These wireless coverage sites can include multiple pieces of equipment, such as transceivers and antennas, for providing communication service to wireless communication devices located in their associated wireless coverage areas. In many examples, the wireless communication equipment is referred to as base transceiver station (BTS) equipment. A BTS can include multiple pieces of communication equipment which can serve a portion of a wireless coverage area, referred to as a sector, or can serve a particular carrier frequency or communication channel of a sector or wireless coverage area. Thus, many pieces of individual communication equipment can be located at a wireless coverage site to provide communication service to wireless communication devices across many sectors and communication carriers.
However, after initial wireless network planning and equipment installation, many wireless communication sites lack adequate wireless communication equipment to provide coverage or service to their associated wireless coverage areas. It can be costly and inefficient to procure and deploy new wireless communication equipment to supplement overutilized wireless communication equipment, or to expand coverage to new geographic areas.
Overview
What is disclosed is a method of operating a processing system to relocate wireless communication equipment. The method includes receiving customer data and performance data for wireless communication equipment located at a plurality of potential donor sites, and receiving geographic information for a target relocation site. The method also includes processing the customer data, the performance data, and the geographic information to determine a relocation score for each of the wireless communication equipment located at the plurality of potential donor sites, and selecting wireless communication equipment of at least one of the plurality of potential donor sites for relocation to the target relocation site based upon the relocation score.
What is also disclosed is a processing system to relocate wireless communication equipment. The processing system includes a communication interface configured to receive customer data and performance data for wireless communication equipment located at a plurality of potential donor sites, and receive geographic information for a target relocation site. The processing system also includes a relocation processor configured to process the customer data, the performance data, and the geographic information to determine a relocation score for each of the wireless communication equipment located at the plurality of potential donor sites, and select wireless communication equipment of at least one of the plurality of potential donor sites for relocation to the target relocation site based upon the relocation score.